Improvement in boat-detaching apparatus



' V D'AVID'L. COHEN.

Improvement in Boat-Detqphing Appqr'atqs. No. 113.981. PatntedApril25,1871.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID LOPEZ COHEN, OF PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOAT-DETACHING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 113,981, dated April 25, 1871.

To all whonz it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID LOPEZ COHEN, of Pensacola, in the county of Escambia and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Boat-Detaching Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation showing the jaws closed;

Figure 2 is a partial sectional elevation showing the stern jaws open; and

Figure 3 is a plan of fig. 2.

This invention has for its object the detaching of boats from ships, the boat being suspended from davits above the water and having on board her crew and freight, in which condition it is highly desirable that the boat be lowered into the water horizontally, and that the means whereby this is accomplished be such as maybe easily and rapidly operated.

Referring to the drawing a is a section of a boat.

Z) are vertical standards rigidly secured at the bow and stern directly over the keel, said standards having at their upper ends curved prongs 0, each of which forms the front half of a pair of jaws, the rear half of each pair being supplied by a curved prong, d, which forms the upper end of a plate, 6, that is pivoted between the two branches of which each standard I) is composed.

f are forked plates jointed to the lower ends of the plates (1 and extending horizontally, the forward plate toward the stern and the rear plate toward the bow.

g is a rod having screw-threads on each end, which pass through nuts placed at each side of the cross-pieces of the forked plates f, by means of which nuts the plates (Z may be adjusted, the rod g lying along the upper side of the keelson.

hen the rod 9 is moved toward the stern it throws the lower ends of the plates (1 backward and separates the prongs.

When the rod is moved toward the bow it throws the lower ends of the plates f forward and closes the prongs together. The prongs or jaws at both ends of the boat are thus opened or closed at precisely the same moment.

These jaws are the devices by means of which the boat is hung to the davit-hooks, and their simultaneous opening allows the boat to fall into the water on an even keel.

At any convenient point a tooth, h, is formed on the upper side of the rod g, said tooth having inclined sides.

Resting upon the tooth is a catch, 1', having in its lower side a notch that fits over the tooth, said catch being pivoted at its front end between lugs Z that extend upward from a plate secured to the bottom of the boat, and being also guided by a slotted standard, m, that incloses it.

A lever, k, having its fulcrum on a vertical post that springs from the base-plate at one side of the rod 9, is employed to hold the catch i down upon the tooth h, when said lever is turned across the end of the catch.

The lever 76 works under ahorizontal bar, t, that is supported on standards at the opposite side of the rod-g from the pivot-post of the lever.

. To the end of the lever 75 is jointed a rod, n, which is long enough to extend backward to within easy reach of the officer commanding the boat, and has a ring at its other extremity that forms a convenient handle, and, also, when passed over a pin that projects upward from the bottom under the side stern seat, prevents the rod from moving and holds it out of the way.

When all is ready for dropping the boat, the person appointed lays hold of the rod It and pulls it rearward far enough to withdraw the lever 7.; from over the catch 1', which being done there is nothing to resist the strain of the davit-hooks upon the jaws. The jaws,

therefore, immediately fly open, throwing the rod 9 toward the stern, the catch 11 beinglifted by the tooth h. The boat thereupon falls horizontally into the water.

hen it is required to lift the boat out of the water the davit-hooks should be placed where the jaws will close upon them. Then the rod g should be thrust forward by means of the lever 11, which-is jointed to the bottom of the boat and pivoted to the rod.

The jaws having been closed, the lever 7a is turned over the. catch i, and this enables the jaws to resist the strain of the davit-hooks, so that the boat can be lifted at both ends at once.

This arrangement occupies but little room in the boat, can be operated by a child with any number of persons on board, Weight making no difference, and it is impossible to detach one end of the boat-without at the same time detaching the other.

The jaws being always in a perpendicular position, the davit-hooks are easily attached in rough Weather. 

